Perfect
by Nature9000
Summary: A man's worst nightmare becomes reality when his daughter runs away, due to feeling ignored and neglected. Can Jade and her father connect before it's too late?


Perfect

Disclaimer: I don't own Victorious, nor the song inspiring this oneshot.

A/N: This was inspired by the song Perfect, by Simple Plan. It is not a songfic, mind you, it is just inspired by the song _and_ the episode of Jade's play.

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><p>-SORRY I CAN'T BE PERFECT-<p>

Henry West sat in his leather brown recliner chair reading an old Sunday newspaper. His living room was bleak and bland, usually filled with light, but that light was gone now. Where had it gone? His eyes trailed above the newspaper and his lips turned down, forming scowl lines at the corners. The dark red couch was empty and the cushions were no longer neat as they had always been. The burry dark blue carpet held darker spots where liquid had been spilled on the floor near the oak end table. The lonely brown walls were bare where they were once littered with family photos of his beloved late wife and his beautiful daughter. She changed when her mother passed away, many things changed in the household.

Henry gave a shaky sigh and drifted his eyes to the blackened television screen sitting a few feet away from the couch. In front of the television was a round cherry red rug with a white cube in the center of the rug. On the cube was a small black Labrador puppy that he purchased a day prior from the pet shop. It was a female puppy, nearly a year old, but still very small. He never wanted a dog, but since he bought the puppy, it did fill him with some joy he'd been lacking ever since that day, but there was still a void that couldn't be filled. The puppy lifted its head to him and met his eyes with a whimper, it was as though the tiny animal knew how he was feeling.

"Brandy…" His voice was soft and wavering, but at the same time, hardened. The puppy lifted itself from the rug and walked over to his right leg. She placed her paws up on his pant and gave him a pleading look. "Do you want up?" He folded the newspaper up and set it on the table beneath his coffee cup. Brandy barked as he reached down and lifted her up, then set her down in the lap. She was the runt of the litter, so it was likely she'd always be a lap dog. Brandy licked his hand and curled up in his lap, nestling her head on her paws as he patted her head.

He moved the back of his head back to his chair and felt his chest tighten as he his eyelids slowly closed over his sullen eyes. Nothing had changed since that day, he refused to even clean up the house. For a week now, Beck has been coming over every single day, cleaning up the house. The police never found anything at all, but without any kind of clue, they couldn't do much. They were hardly looking anymore.

She'd been gone since the previous Friday, they had a fight. Henry struggled to think about what it was on, they fought quite often. She accused him of being so hard, so closed to anything she said or did. He accused her of being a rebel. What started it? Maybe their mother, maybe over Jade wanting a dog, maybe over her piercings, or maybe it was over Jade's path in life. He turned his eyes to the bleak hallway entrance leading to the stairwell that rested outside the master bedroom. The steps were barren, empty and cold. Neither he or Beck traveled up those steps since she left.

It was sometime in the late night or early morning that she vanished without a trace. He awoke to a bright house, the sun was shining through a very light drizzle. When he had gone into the kitchen that day, sitting on the yellow marble countertop was a folded note, when he opened it, the only words beside her name were the words 'Goodbye Dad'.

He had called Beck to see if he knew anything, but he did not. Beck worked furiously, calling all of his friends in a heated panic, asking if any of them heard from Jade. Tori heard from her, only to hear Jade say goodbye, her dad had traced the phone to a pay phone.

Henry lifted his head up, and ran his hand through his messy hair. His once shaven face had light stubble and his clothes were the same clothes he'd been wearing for the past two days. His head was pounding and his heart was speeding erratically as he recalled that day. The day he read that note, the sun seemed to darken as the storm clouds covered it up and the rain grew heavier.

When Beck called Cat, she broke down and cried. Jade was her best friend and she had only called her to say she wasn't sure she'd ever see her again. When Beck saw her, every day this week, her eyes were puffy and her cheeks were streaked with red marks. Any mention of Jade, any reminder of her, and she broke down in tears. She couldn't even bear to come to Jade's home, it was too painful for her.

"I shouldn't have said what I did, Brandy." The puppy looked up at him and her ears perked upwards. His eyes shook as he recalled the memories of the fight, it had gone way out of hand and Jade was tearing down the photos on the wall and becoming far too aggressive. She shouted at one point that he might be better off without her, and he shouted back that life probably would be better. He hadn't meant it, but it had been said. That was the point where Jade began tearing the photos from the wall before storming up to her room. "Where do you think she is, girl?" Had he gone crazy? Talking to a dog? He had nobody else to talk to, only a dog and four walls. As he thought about it, he chuckled remembering the Bird Scene that Jade told him about. A dog was much different than a parrot, though. Hopefully Brandy would never leave him.

The silence was broken by a ringing sound. He turned his head to the white cordless phone on the end table as Brandy began to bark at it. He lifted the phone and checked the caller ID, it was Beck. He closed his eyes and pressed the 'talk' button. "Hey Mr. West." He always called before coming over, just to make sure Henry was ready for him.

"Beck…I need my daughter…"

"I know." Beck's life had been a mess since she'd been away. He still had to make sure he was cleaned up and looking sharp for school, but everybody could tell he was tormented. Even Sikowitz left him alone during class, knowing that he just couldn't focus on acting. Even his best friend Andre couldn't get him to enjoy the things he normally did, and if Andre couldn't get him to cheer up or laugh, that was definitely a shock to everybody. "Are you okay? I can bring the carpet shampooer today and get that soda stain up if that's all right."

"Yes, please do." His eyes trailed to the stain and he slowly hung up the phone. There was no need to say any more, Beck would be over soon. He had keys to the house as well, so he could just let himself in. Henry leaned his head back once more and closed his eyes. Beck only got so much of the house cleaned up, due to the fact that he only had about one to two hours to actually visit. He did have things to do.

Henry's boss let him have a couple weeks off from work, due to what was happening. If this was some punishment, it was cruel. If Jade honestly believed he hated her, if she honestly believed he wouldn't care, what would she think if she saw him now?

The sound of a vacuum running woke him from his slumber. Moaning from exhaustion, he opened his eyes and saw Beck working hard at cleaning up the stains on the carpet. He was wearing a white muscle shirt and brown jeans, but his hair was a bit unkempt today. "Beck? When did you get here?" Beck moved his eyes over and smiled sadly.

"I got here about fifteen minutes ago. I didn't want to wake you, but I had to get this thing cleaned up. I put your phone on the charger too…" He pointed to the computer desk on the side of the living room. Henry's phone rested on the left end, a cord was leading from the phone and plugged into the wall. He never remembered to charge it, it was dead since Saturday afternoon.

"Thanks, I guess. There's still no news, is there." The youth frowned, his heart aching as well. He slowly shook his head, an act that Henry dreaded.

"No sir…"

"Oh." He turned his eyes down and felt his body going numb. Where had he gone wrong, to the point that his daughter would leave in such a way? "I see." Brandy hopped off his lap as he started to rise to his feet, the feeling in his legs was hardly felt. He couldn't stay in that chair forever, and he knew that. "I've been thinking. Maybe we should…go upstairs…"

"Her bedroom?" The air began to thicken as the men looked into each other's eyes, a flash of pleading shone brightly. Neither wanted to enter that room, there were far too many memories that would feel far too painful for them.

"We have to…" He knew there was nothing that would happen if they went in there, but they needed to accept that she was gone. Seeing that empty room may help them both cope with the fact. "I know it hurts…" Beck closed his eyes, his stomach clenched and his throat tightened, he understood perfectly and was surprised that Henry was the one who said it first.

"A few days ago, I'd be the one saying that."

"Don't get me wrong…there's still hope." The men turned their eyes to the small puppy. Brandy was sitting down in between them, wagging her tail and watching them closely. She tilted her head as Henry took a deep, shattering breath. "Isn't there?"

"I'll never stop wishing either, Mr. West…Let's do this together, sir." He turned his gaze to the stairs and felt his body slowly tense up with fear. "I don't think we'll find anything, but…who knows…" Just an empty room, that's all they expected to find. At that thought, the men walked to the stairs and stopped before the brown steps. Henry gripped the railing and peered up them, he was unsure if he would even make it up them.

"It's so cold here…"

"Come on…you're the one who said we should." He was second guessing himself now. He didn't know if he was ready to go up. Of the two men, they couldn't do much more than stand on the bottom step. It was the dog that took initiative, surprisingly. Brandy barked and tentatively began climbing up the first step. Beck's eyes fell to the puppy and he lifted his eyebrows. "Brandy?"

"Brandy, hold on." Henry took a step forward and the puppy yipped once more before picking up her pace and hopping up the steps. The two men looked at each other and opened their mouths to let the air enter in sharply. "Here goes nothing, then…"

The two followed slowly up the steps. When they reached the top, they were greeted by an even lonelier, bleak feeling of despair that taunted their hearts. It was amazing, though, how clean the top floor was. The family pictures along the wall were still hanging, although crooked. The bathroom door was open and the counter was relatively clean. "She always kept the upstairs in good order…" Beck turned his eyes to Henry, the man was trembling. It was almost as though he were about to break down in tears. As they walked, the closer they got to Jade's bedroom, it became increasingly harder on the both of them.

Just before reaching the bedroom door, they stopped. The white walls met with the very light cream door, it was cracked open with little light shining through. Brandy nudged the door open with her nose and bright sunlight taunted the men's eyes. They had to blink to end the burning sensation, all of the curtains had been covering the windows on the floor below, so now Henry's eyes had to readjust to the sunlight.

Inside where four cream colored walls, meeting with peach shag carpeting. In front of the window on the far end of the bedroom was Jade's brown computer desk with drawers in the wooden legs on the side and a black laptop resting in the center. Henry and Beck stared at the computer, their hands trembling. They couldn't believe she would leave her computer, but then perhaps she really did not want to be traced.

Her bed was parallel to the desk and rested against the wall. It was a Queen sized mattress with purple bed sheets and red pillows. On both sides of the bed were brown oak end tables with two lava lamps. Above the bed was a ceiling fan, still circling on low speed. Henry closed his eyes and took the first step into her bedroom, his heart was steadily beating at a slow pace as he fought the urge to flee the bedroom. "What were we fighting about, Beck?"

"I don't know…"

"God as my witness, if she's safe…" Beck felt his throat tighten as he took a step into the room. He didn't have the heart to tell the man about the voicemail that Tori received, but he knew he had to. Jade called Tori up on the pay phone just a day ago and told her she was okay, but out of money. She needed food, but she wouldn't see any of them. She wasn't planning on returning home and did not know where she was going to go, but did not want to see her father because he didn't care about her.

Henry moved to her desk and ran his fingers slowly along her desk, then traced them over her computer keys. The computer had been left open and running. Beck moved to the bed, having seen something glint off of it in the sunlight. Carefully he lifted the object up and looked over to Henry. "She left a CD…"

"She did?" He looked over and watched Beck walk to the computer. They both wanted to see what it was, maybe Jade left them a message. As they dared to touch the computer, they cautiously placed the CD in and waited as it began to play. Henry swallowed nervously as the windows media player popped up with Jade standing in front of a camera. It was the last of her presence.

He slowly sat on the bed, his heart started pounding and his eyes never left Jade. Her black mascara was running down and her face was streaked with tears. Her hair was a mess and this time she had no streak in her hair. Beck cupped his hands over his mouth when he saw his girlfriend, her arm cuffs were gone and on her arms were two scars on each. It was shattering, he had never seen those before and it tore him apart to think that she would go so far. Henry closed his eyes as Jade's voice began to taunt his eardrums. How he missed her voice filling the house.

_"This is what I've been driven to. I hate it. These scars are old, back to when I thought pain was the answer…I don't know, maybe it still is. I'm sorry, Dad, I'm sorry Beck. Ever since Mom…you know…nothing's been the same. You've _never_ been the father you used to be." _Beck slowly looked to Henry, not with accusation, but with sorrow. Henry's eyes stung him, threatening to water, threatening to tear up. _"If you want me out of your life, fine…I'm gone, forever. Beck, I love you. Tell Cat not to cry, tell Sikowitz I'm sorry. No, I'm not going to kill myself, I just…"_ Jade turned her head downward and closed her hands up tightly. _"I don't know what I'm going to do, I don't know where I'm going to go. Maybe she'll know…I don't know. But I'm gone. Dad you never talk to me, you can say you do, but you never _really_ talk. We never communicate, we never negotiate anything. It's_ so hard_ to please you!"_

"Jade…"

_"I'm going to sing this song, it's on karaoke. This is from the bottom of my heart, Dad."_ Henry placed his hands over his face as the music from _Simple Plan, _"Perfect" began to play. Beck leaned against the desk, pressing his hands firmly on the surface. They listened as she sang, each word was like a bullet to Henry's heart. He couldn't take it, the pain was near unbearable for him. He wanted to turn off the computer. He opened his eyes and saw Brandy sniffing the floor of the room. He smiled sadly as his tears escaped his eyes and ran to his chin. Soon the song was over and Jade had her hand on the camera button._ "I don't know if you'll ever care about this video, but when you see it, just know…I'm sorry that it has come to this. I'll miss Hollywood Arts, I'll miss you Beck, if you're seeing this at all…Cat too, and yes, I'll even miss Tori." _She wiped her eyes and let out a choked sob. _"Goodbye, Dad."_

The video shut off and silence once more filled the environment. No word could be spoken as Henry begun to think hard about where Jade could have gone. She left no clues at all. Beck turned to him, tears in his eyes and his heart breaking in two. "I'm sorry, Mr. West. I…she never told me…what bothered her…"

"It's not your fault, Beck. I…" He slowly stood up, suddenly his joints felt painful, as though his body had just aged thirty years. "I should have been there for her. If only I could have another chance…A chance to show her that I do care about her, that she's my…" Beck pressed his lips together as Henry wiped his eyes with his fingertips and choked up a sob. Beck placed his hand on the man's shoulder as his muscles tightened up. She was his little girl, she was all he had left, and he took that for granted. He spent all his time trying to care for her, trying to make her have a good life after her mother's death, that he never paid attention to what mattered. He never knew how she felt. "I'm a horrible father. I'm a fucking horrible-"

"Don't talk like that. You did what you could."

"Obviously it wasn't_ enough_!" He threw his hand to the side and glanced back at the desk, for the first time that day he spotted the photo next to her computer. It was an old photo of Jade and her parents at the ski resort they had gone to when she was just ten years old. It was taken a year before the mother's accident. "Sometimes I wish Amanda were still alive…She would know what to do…"

"I think Jade wishes the same thing…" Suddenly Brandy's head perked up and she began barking wildly and sniffing the air. It was so sudden that it startled the two men.

"What's wrong, girl?" Brandy ran to the door and continued her frantic barking.

"I think she's trying to tell us something. I read animals have this weird thing about them…" Henry scoffed at the thought, he never really believed animals could sense danger. Although, it could be true, but to him the stories just seemed too coincidental to matter. "Let's see what she wants anyway." The puppy then ran to the stairs and barked until the men made their way over to her. Their hearts started racing as they followed the animal, at first they thought she just wanted to go out, but with as much as he was pausing, they were thinking otherwise.

Once they reached the bottom of the steps, Brandy began to sniff the air, as though she were searching for a specific scent. She continued her way to the front door and began pawing frantically at it. "No Brandy, you can't go outside yet, you need to grow a little more. I don't want to lose you…" Brandy continued to paw at the door and growl until the men gave in and opened the door. She shot out and immediately ran towards one of the shrubs that lined the front and hopped in.

"Come on girl, get out of the bushes!" Beck placed his fingers into his mouth and whistled, but the dog didn't come out. Instead, Brandy turned around and continued her frantic barking. Jade's scent was everywhere. He groaned with frustration and pushed the bushes to the side, hidden deep behind the bushes was a small book, it was opened to a specific page, so he tenderly picked it up, being certain to not tear it. The pages were waterlogged from having been in rain, yet some words were readable. The photo was a journal and on the page was the image of a grave marker. He lifted his head up and looked to Henry, who was beginning to grow in concern. "This is her journal entry about Mrs. West's grave…"

"What? Why'd she throw that out here, unless…" Then it hit him as he recalled Jade's words in the video. _'Maybe she would know…'_ Did that mean her mother? Was she at the cemetery? That was ten miles away, but it was worth looking and it made plenty of sense. Her mother was the last bit of happiness that she could remember. "Beck, grab the car. I have an idea where she might be!"

Beck nodded and his eyes lit up, any chance they had to find her was an opportunity he would gladly take. "Let's use my truck." Henry's garage door was closed and he didn't have his keys on him anyway, it would take too long to find them anyway. Beck flew to the black four door Titan he had parked in the driveway. Henry rushed to the passenger door and opened it, he opted to let Brandy ride with them. "Where are we going?"

"The cemetery." Henry shut the door and put his seat belt on as Beck raised his eyebrow and started the car without question. He didn't know what the man was basing this claim on, but it was always possible.

"All right then." He floored the gas, every nerve in his body was firing up. He wondered if the dog perhaps caught her scent and maybe somehow knew where she was. Maybe she also felt something was wrong with Jade, he wasn't sure, but if the dog wanted them to go to the cemetery, then so be it.

It was not a long drive at all, but to them it felt an eternity. All the while, Brandy was frantic. Normally she was a calm, subdued puppy, but she was jumping all over the car and whining. It was strange, because Henry and Beck had driven with her in a car before and she never acted like this.

When they made it to the cemetery gate, Henry opened his door and Brandy flew out the door. The men looked at each other and quickly followed her. She began barking frantically and ran into the cemetery at great speeds, ignoring the two men as though she were on a mission.

She soon found Jade, curled up on the stone bench that had been placed behind her mother's grave in dedication. She had her arms on her stomach, her hair was wet with sweat and rain, her face was pale and clammy, and her breathing was starting to become shallow and labored. Brandy pawed the bench and continued barking. Jade's eyes clenched and she moaned painfully, she couldn't move. Brandy then backed up and charged at the bench, jumping up and landing next to Jade's chest, where she curled up and began licking her chin slowly. Jade's eyes slowly opened and she smiled weakly at the puppy.

"Jade!" Her father and boyfriend's voice rang out in her ears and for the first time in a long time, she was grateful. "God, Jade!" Immediately Beck knelt beside her, his heart began pounding to the point he was certain he would have a heart attack. If this was the feeling of terror, he never wanted to feel it again. The instant he saw Jade in this state, his soul began ripping apart and he was almost certain she was dead.

Jade peered up and saw her father's panicked face. She spoke in a strained, weak tone of voice. "D-Daddy…you came for me?"

"You've been here all this time?"

"I…ran out of money a few days ago…I can't move…it hurts so bad, Daddy. It hurts." Tears dripped down her face as her father helped her to sit up and hugged her close to him. Beck held on to her hand. Her stomach let out a deafening growl and she cringed painfully. "I'm sorry daddy, I wish I could be what you want…You must hate me…"

"No, Jade. You're my little girl. I'd give everything for you. I'm sorry I was never there for you, I was spending all my time trying to get money to pay for you to have a good life that I never thought about how you felt. I've been a horrible father. I'm sorry." He held her tighter, not wanting to let go of her. His eyes clenched shut and he broke into sobs.

"Daddy…I can't move, I'm too weak to stand…help me." She whined and used the little bit of strength she had to curl up in his arms. To hear the words he said, she was grateful, but at what cost? Her life? She was his 'little girl'. Her lips curled into a weak smile and she slowly closed her eyes.

"Jade? Jade stay awake." Beck's eyes grew large as Henry's tone became panicked. Their hearts started to sink and their fear began to skyrocket to soaring heights. "Jade! Please! Beck, she needs food!"

"The last restaurant we passed was just a mile down the road. Maybe they have some soup or broth." He was trying his hardest to be calm. His voice was quick and rushed, his throat was becoming nearly as hoarse as Jade's and he was almost certain he was about to crash.

"It's not good enough! She needs something now!" Brandy sniffed the air and began to bark rapidly. Right now, Henry was definitely a believer that when a dog was trying to tell you something, it was best to listen. "Follow her, see what she smells." For a second, Beck thought he could smell something too. He wasn't sure, it was really far for him to detect, but there was an almost pleasant aroma in the air. Brandy hopped off the bench and started to run down a path, Beck instantly followed her. Henry shook Jade lightly as he listened to her stomach rumble. He lifted his eyes to the sky, his body trembling and tears dripping down his cheeks. "Please. Please God, don't take her. Don't take her from me, she's all I got…oh god please. _Please_, give me another chance, I promise I won't mess up this time…Please…" He buried his head into Jade's shoulder. Never before had he cried like this, at least not since the loss of his wife. He couldn't lose Jade too, he just couldn't. He felt Death's ironclad grip around them, just ready to take her away from this place. "No…" His voice was soft and quiet as he brushed Jade's hair from her face.

He thought back to the play of hers, the girl trapped in the well. He sat up straight and let Jade lay back on his lap, her face twisted in pain and was drenched with sweat. "That play…it was perfect. Jade…you are perfect, you are the perfect daughter in every way. My life would be nothing if I lost you." Jade's body tightened and loosened as though gasping for air.

Henry closed his eyes and took a deep breath. He moved his hand to her wrist and opened his eyes to see the scars. When had she done them? They were fading away, so it must have been at least a year ago, maybe more. Jade let out a weak moan and her lids opened halfway. "D-Daddy?"

"Yes Jade?" He looked at her and held her hand firmly. Jade's lips curled upwards as she slowly lifted her hand to his chin and felt of his stubble.

"Why…why are you so messy, daddy?"

"Because…" His heart tore apart and his throat clenched tightly as tears dripped from his face.

"Don't cry daddy, please don't cry. I didn't mean to make you cry…" A small whimper left her lips as fresh tears dripped from the corner of her eyes. "I love you daddy."

"I love you too. You're all I have."

"Is that puppy…" She could hear the puppy's barking in the distance, it was like music to her ears. It was what she always wanted, a chocolate lab. "Whose puppy is it?"

"Yours. I bought her a day or two ago…" He brushed a strand of her hair away from her eyes and choked up a sob. Jade had never seen him cry before, she never knew this part of him. "Her name's Brandy, just like the dog from that cartoon you used to watch a long time ago."

"Brandy and Mr. Whiskers…" He smiled through his tears and nodded as she tilted her head back and closed her eyes. "I'm sorry I caused so much trouble, Daddy."

"No, no it's not your fault. I never talked about her…" He looked to the grave marker in front of them and felt his heart skip a beat. "Things had been so hard since then, I loved her so much and then in an instant she was torn away from me. I didn't think…about how much her death affected you…I should have thought, I should have talked about her with you."

"Maybe we can talk…later…"

"I promise you, Jade."

"Daddy? Did you mean it? Am I…Am I really the perfect daughter to you?" His eyes shone brightly and he smiled at her.

"Yes. You are so precious to me…You remind me so much of your mother, her strength and her personality. You are the light in the house, the minute you enter the room, you bring joy…"

"…thank you…" She let out a long, weak moan, and placed her hand on her stomach. She felt herself slipping away. She didn't want to die, she was scared, but she knew she couldn't hang on much longer. Henry lifted his head up as a bell near the cemetery began to chime out one dull gong every two seconds.

He wiped his eyes and gazed at his daughter's perfectly round, but swollen face. She was so beautiful in this moment. What was he going to do? His heart began to sink and his tears dripped from his cheek and fell to her face, landing upon her forehead. He hunched over her and brought his thumb and index finger to his eyes. Everything grew silent, except for the slow and dull beating of her heart. It was fading, though, and the color was beginning to leave her. "Please God…don't take her. Take whatever you want, just please, don't take my daughter away from me. I'll do anything. I'll be a better father, I'll give her everything she needs. Just God, give me another chance, _please!_"

In that brief moment, a sound of barking crashed into his eardrums. He slowly lifted his head to see Beck following Brandy, and behind them were two Monks and a Preacher. Beck called out to Henry in quick, breathless gasps, he could hardly run any longer. "There was a funeral. A Buddhist monk…" He stopped when he saw Jade lying on Henry's lap, his whole world instantly became dark and he slowly fell to his knees. Pain struck him as he stared at her slowly. "I-Is she…"

One of the monks, dressed in a regal ceremonial robe and with grey patches of hair framing his bald scalp, pulled a small vial from his robe. The preacher was an older, much wiser man. He wiped his brow and instantly placed a cross upon Jade's chest, then begun to pray with fierceness, as if holding her soul in place. Henry's chest clenched painfully, as did Beck's, they were certain it was too late.

The second monk was holding a bowl of broth in his hands, something that they had been cooking for their fellow monk's funeral. The first monk popped open the broth and propped Jade's head up with his hand. "She drink this, it give her strength. Feed her the broth and she will become stronger."

"But…" Henry lifted his eyes mournfully as the monk placed the vial to Jade's lips and poured the cool medicine into her lips and down her throat as the Preacher and second monk continued to pray. Beck stared with fear at his girlfriend and did not hear the chanting of the other monks that had attended the funeral, they were walking towards them and beginning to surround them. "It's too late…she's gone?"

Beck's eyes watered and tears streamed over his cheeks as he reached his hand out. A whimper left his throat as the Monk pulled his hand from Jade's head and let her rest it on her father's leg. He then moved his hand to Jade's stomach and closed his eyes, beginning his chant. Henry closed his eyes and his body shook, he honestly was eternally grateful to these men. His heart lifted and he decided to have faith in them, he prayed that his daughter would be okay, but he was still scared.

Jade's forehead creased and her nose twitched, the taste of the medicine was horrible, but she could feel life coming to her as her stomach began to feel full once more. The pain was washed away and her eyelids slowly opened to see her father's tearstained face. She spoke one word, her voice no longer weak and strained, but small and frightened. "Dad?"

Henry's eyes flew open and Beck's heart jumped. Jade sat up on her elbows and her eyes shut and open rapidly as her body began to fill up with a warm feeling. The color soon returned to her face and her cheeks were full and red. The second monk walked over to her and set the bowl of broth upon her lap while the others continued their chants and prayers. She looked at the broth and felt her stomach jump inside her, as though jumping for joy. She did not feel hungry, for the first time in days, she felt _full_. Neither of the men could believe their eyes, Jade was alive and fresh, and Henry's eyes were now filled with tears of joy. He was speechless as Jade tentatively lifted the bowl up, closed her eyes and brought it to her lips, sipping the broth hungrily. The taste of the warm, succulent liquid met her taste buds with intense flavor and her stomach met it with joyful welcome. She never felt more alive.

Beck slowly looked from Jade to the puppy, then back to Jade. The corner of his lips lifted as he slowly moved towards her. Peace entered his body and he slowly closed his eyes, he would let Henry have this moment. He'd have plenty more with her in the future, thankfully. Jade set the empty bowl on her lap and turned her eyes to her father with a smile. Henry smiled back at her and quickly hugged her closely. His prayer had been answered, and he was sure to do it right this time. There was nothing that would stand in the way of being a perfect father to his more than perfect daughter.

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><p>Well that was an emotional write, I seriously debated the ending. I hope you enjoyed this, I certainly enjoyed writing it ^_^. Leave a review if you shall.<p> 


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